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D&D 5: Masters of Skills

Skills were one of my favorite parts of D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder. They remain one of my favorite parts of D&D 5. Like in every edition of D&D, rogues and bards are the skill masters, but who is better?

The Rogue gets four proficiencies, four Expertise skills, and a huge bonus at level 11, where rolls below 10 are automatically pushed up to 10. Lore Bards get six proficiencies, two Expertise skills, and at 14th level, can add a Bardic Inspiration die to skill checks after seeing the result of the roll. Bards also get bonuses to skills they are not proficient with.

While Rogue has more reliable skill checks than Bard starting at level 11, and doesn't have to use up a limited resource (Bardic Inspiration), I think Bard is the clear winner here starting at level 14. No other class can get close to a 49 on a skill check.

The Most Skills

Want a ridiculous build to get the most skill proficiencies possible? Try this one:

* Background: Any that comes with two proficiencies.
* Race: Half-elf, for two bonus skills.
* Feats: Skilled, obviously. Thats 3 more.
* Rogue 1 - This gives you four proficiencies and two expertise.
* Knowledge Cleric 1 - Proficiency and expertise in two skills.
* Lore Bard 3 - Four more proficiencies, expertise and jack of all trades.
* Warlock 2 - Take the Beguiling Influence invocation, for proficiency in Deception and Persuasion.
* Ranger 1 - One more proficiency.
* 10 more levels of rogue for reliable talent.
* 2 levels of whatever you want.

By level 8, you have proficiency in all 18 skills, and double proficiency in 6 of them. Yay. By level 18, you have 8 double proficiencies, and you can't roll lower than a 10 on any skill check.